


don’t unlock the fear inside, it’s poisonous

by meltingjukyu



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Abyss - Freeform, An Ode, Don't @ Me, Fear, Gen, Pledis, Seventeen - Freeform, There might be tears, also, inspired by abyss, its my first fanfic, just warning you, mafia, pls be nice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:41:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23668558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meltingjukyu/pseuds/meltingjukyu
Summary: the life that kim mingyu had before he woke up on wongsan beach was nothing special, but he did not expect to become earth's designated grim reaper for the itaewon district of seoul, south korea.losing his mother was the worst thing that ever happened to him, but he’s given a chance to redeem himself.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Kudos: 3





	1. preface

_one, two, three, four, five. breathe, mingyu. breathe._

he had slipped behind the concrete wall that led to the back of a chinese restaurant. he could hear the footsteps, loud and clear. he thought his heavy breathing would give away his hiding spot so he cupped his hand over his mouth, almost suffocating, as he crouched low to blend in.

he inhaled as much of the air he could manage, filled with overwhelming smoke and an overpowering smell of burnt pork belly. he exhaled slowly, just as he was taught. but the next inhale was sharp.

“where the fuck did he go?” one of the men shouted.

there was brisk scuttling of steel toe boots, he was unable to tell if they were coming toward him or heading in the opposite direction. a small but taunting voice rose in the back of his mind, _i’m over here. ha ha. come and get me!_ to that, he squeezed his eyes shut. it was suffocating. it threatened to come out, but he knew better.

the footsteps became distant and he started to lower his hand from his mouth. they’re gone.

mingyu loathes attention. he hides in the shadows, away from the cruel world that taught him nothing but pain and heartbreak. away from his reality. the feeling of comfort was quickly taken away from him like a rug being pulled out from under. the gravity of the situation soon became too much for him to bear.

he didn’t ask for this. all he wanted was money and validation. his past life was far from sunshine and rainbows, but he’d take it back now in a heartbeat.

ever since he woke up that day on wangsan beach with his pockets empty except for the one thing that changed his life forever. he slowly reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a bright light that illuminated the new definition of his face. the disc that filled his right hand lit up white and pulsed slowly, notifying mingyu that the surroundings were clear and he could move once more.

another day had passed. another threat had retreated but not for long, as mingyu knew he had a rollercoaster ahead of him.


	2. i wish i could open the time where only we can exist- if i could, if only i could

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mingyu blocks the universe out after his own world was taken from him, but there might be a light at the end of the tunnel.

he sat there, staring out over his neighbourhood, trying to block out all the hatred that littered the world around him. the sun could just be seen over the towerblock that towered just higher than his rooftop. it’s fascinating how small slither could coat an entire city - glimmering with gold flecks. if someone was beside mingyu at this moment, they’d notice how the once pooling dark brown now shimmered with fragments of the sun, dancing around in this innocent boy’s eyes.

it had been a long time since mingyu had anybody beside him. the rare occasion that human contact impended, he barely looked them in the eyes. he would go days without eating to avoid it. the convenience store worker, who knew mingyu growing up, barely saw him for more than a minute.

mingyu would walk into the store, appearance drowned in a worn greyish cap and oversized sweatshirt, with his head down. once he picked his regular cup of chapagetti, he’d place it on the counter with the usual 3,000 won in notes.

sometimes he would pick up an additional tray of kimbap – those days would be to celebrate the fact that he had actually gotten out of bed. an additional note would be placed alongside to roll. spicy tuna kimbap, like his mum used to make.

sitting up here, he could hear the low buzz of the traffic heading into itaewon. it was nights like this that mingyu could tell what day it really was. these people were heading into the liveliest part of town to celebrating clocking off work for the next 48 hours.

he vaguely remembered what that was like. the ‘quiet until friday afternoon’ coworker would drop a single post-it note on his desk with a shy smile as she walked away and back to her seat. _we’re heading out to the cray tonight, want to join?_ \--- he didn’t miss the smeared x after the question, signalling instantaneous regret after she jotted the kiss. but they would dance the night away – who knew a bunch of accountant office folk could waterfall soju bombs like they were m&ms.

the gold flecks that twinkled across the city slowly began to dwindle. the smile of remembrance disappeared in an instant as the buzz of the city faded into his own, lonesome breathing. he took a slow glug of the beer he held in his right hand. he almost forgot the taste of it until his friend placed a six-pack of beer outside of his apartment door during the day. he vaguely heard the ring of the bell while mid slumber ~ a usual pastime for mingyu.

once he knew the knocker was gone, he slowly stepped out into his front porch. the pack was accompanied by a handwritten note -

**_hey, gyu. just stopped by to say hello. i thought you could use a pick me up – I’m sorry to hear about your mum, man. she was a gem. kwan._ **

a gruesome laugh bubbled in his throat as he tore off the note and scrunched it in his hand. the tight, sharp pain of crescents being dug into his hands didn’t go unnoticed – but it was a familiar feeling now. shoving his door open, stepping out into the hallway of his apartment and seeing the orangey tones to the sky had urged mingyu to take the small step ladder from his shanty, “penthouse” apartment onto the roof.

as he took another sip of the luke-warm beer he thought back to seungkwan’s note. he wasn’t worthy of this pack, but he drank it anyway. aiding in the death of your own mother barely grants you breath, let alone a six pack of tepid beer. in the back of his mind, he knew that wasn’t true. he knew it was the gods that took her, because it was her time. but that didn’t stop mingyu from blaming himself. that didn’t stop mingyu from shoving everyone away, granting himself a life of solitary in his studio apartment with cracked walls and barely there mini fridge.

his feet dangled over the apartment building, specks of cracked concrete fell to the floor as he kicked at the torn roofing. they didn’t fall far; but he would. the five-story apartment building wasn’t tall, but it was tall enough to cause pain. these intrusive thoughts met mingyu regularly- as he crossed a street of zooming cars; as he took a pill for a migraine; as he dangled here, inches away from a new life.

but he knew... he knew.

 _I know,_ he huffed. standing back up slowly, putting a distance between himself and the edge of the building. _I know, mum._

_you will have a good life, my darling. you just need to believe in yourself._

his mother’s parting words – they still hit like a ton of bricks, months after hearing them. he could still hear her sickly-sweet tone coaxing goodness out of him, even in his darkest time. even here, his thoughts almost getting the better of him, he did it for her.

kicking the scattered stones away from his path back to the ladder, he took in his surroundings for a moment more. breathing in deeply, as though it was his last breath, he stepped down the ladder and into his dimly lit apartment once more.

with half a pack of beer tucked away safely in his functioning but barely fridge, he collapsed onto his fold-away bed, careful not to land the wrong way and injure himself. the buzz of the energy-saving light bulb brought a calm wave over him. with his mother’s locket in hand, the white noise sent mingyu into a peaceful sleep.

it was the blinding light that woke mingyu, his fingers stretched in search of his blanket to cover his eyes with the desire to lull back to sleep. instead, his fingers sunk into soaked sand, small particles making their way under his finger nails. shocked by his, he shot up with his legs hunched to his chest and arms tensed with one fist balled and the other palm open ready to block.

he was on the beach, the small blueish hut a few hundred meters away told him it was wangsan beach - _wangsan beach café_ was written in cursive, navy paint on the side of the building.

it took him moments to notice to hovering figure a few feet beside him. their body coated in white cloth, and long auburn hair flowing over their shoulders. he stared in awe as the figure reached out their arm, presenting a blinding, oval shaped crystal in the palm of their hand.

his eyes slowly trailed from the crystal up the figure's body, detecting a slight glimmer as he went up – was this a ghost? the shining aura around the figure told him otherwise… an angel?

the familiar locket covering the figures chest made mingyu’s heart sink. he didn’t need to look any further up. he didn’t need to see the way his brow furrowed as she watched him come to his senses. he didn’t need to see the small freckle on her right cheek that matches his. he didn’t need to see the shining brown eyes that smiled brighter than her lips.

he finally met her eyes and breathed in the freshest air he’s felt in a long time.

_mum._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ chapter title taken from seventeen's lilili yabbay ~
> 
> this story is partially inspired by the tv show Abyss!
> 
> i have nothing more to say than stan seventeen and stan this story bc its about to get wILD
> 
> also pls this is unedited bc its my first day back writing after drowning in my dissertation for months and really just wanted to get back into it~ don't come for me and my grammar


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